Dropping My Guard
by Midnight Minute
Summary: Tenten accepted the fact that Neji would always be a dream she could never obtain. She was satisfied with watching him from a distance and being his friend. It wasn't much, but she was happy with things staying just the way they were. The way she saw it, could one ever ask for anything more than happiness?


Hey readers!

Midnight here! For those who know me, or for those that don't, one of my friends and I have decided that in order to vary our writing and productivity, we are going to give each other monthly writing challenges. Our rules are pretty vague, with the limitations that it should remain a one-shot, and should be less than ten thousand words.

Explanation aside, this challenge revolves around the idea of 'The Other' which means that a person is in a not-relationship where they sort of just watch from a distance. The Other can be a result of the person already being attached, life events that make relationships unattainable, not being of interest to said person, bad breakup in the past, etc.

I feel if there is a single 'couple' where the person just watches from the sidelines, observing the thing they can't ever quite seem to have is Neji and Tenten, so this story captures some emotional turmoil. However, as this is one of my favorite Naruto couples, you'll see some Neji/Ten if you squint.

Enjoy my first writing challenge!

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Tenten was angry.

She frowned at her thought, shaking her head at her word choice and tried to find a better suited one. Angry implied that she was being wronged in some variant, and she was emotionally reacting to it – which was preposterous. To admit that she was upset was to admit ownership, or at the very least that she cared more than she should, which was even worse. It's not like she owned Neji or anything.

Giving a sigh, Tenten glared into the ground, stopping her thoughts immediately. They were starting to run away with her and subsequently getting worse as her emotions got the best of her. Of course she didn't own Neji. She never had, and as much as it stung to admit, _she never would._

"Tenten, I'm sorry that I have to cut our training short; I can see it bothers you." Neji stated, standing up straight from his previous defensive position, and watching Tenten in concern.

"No," Tenten waved a hand, allowing herself a bit of sarcasm, "It's fine that our weekly sparring was once again cut off because of business you suddenly have at the main house. It's starting to happen so often that I've actually started planning over it myself in fact! It's clear you don't value this time anymore, so why should I?"

The Hyuga remained silent, and while Tenten knew she would later regret her outburst, she couldn't help it in the heat of the moment. Opening a scroll and recalling all her weapons into it, Tenten gave one last glare at the prodigy before storming past him and heading back towards the village.

As she left, she heard Hinata converse with Neji, likely believing she wouldn't be heard, "I've never seen her so upset before. I tried to tell Father that you were busy, but he said that he wouldn't wait and demanded I come get you. I didn't mean to make her mad."

Tenten heard Neji sigh, "She works hard to grow in skill and values the insight I can give her as a team mate." Neji paused, his voice growing difficult to hear, "I will tell Uncle that he has to stop controlling my free time. If Tenten wants to gain skill and train with me, I will not shut her down. She doesn't take her role as a ninja lightly, and I respect her for it."

As Tenten moved further away, her angry march turned into a sad stroll.

She supposed it was a compliment for Neji to say he respected her devotion to being a ninja, but damn it, she wasn't looking for respect as a team mate, she wanted his respect as a friend – for just being who she was. She didn't mind the lack of training so much as the fact that once again he opted to do something else instead of spending time with her. Each time he did that, he sent the message that she wasn't at all important to him and was easily replaceable. Even if he wasn't actively saying it, he may as well have been. Every time 'something came up' Tenten felt farther and farther away from her best friend.

Picking up the pace and feeling defeated, Tenten moved down the dirt path from the training grounds, trying to bring reason back into her mind. She knew she was being ridiculous. They weren't a couple, and it was silly for her to pretend that Neji owed anything to her. His life and position in the Hyuga branch made things too difficult to even consider deep ties with anyone. She understood that and respected it, but what was so wrong with wanting to be special to him and stand out in his mind as someone different from the rest?

They had been friends since their genin days, and considering the fact that Neji didn't keep much company, she had always thought that maybe he considered her a close friend, yet with how busy he was lately and how easily she was pushed aside, she wasn't sure.

Kicking a small rock in frustration, Tenten moved out of the forest clearing and into the village, still lost in her thoughts. It wasn't that she wanted to date Neji or anything like that. Frankly she knew very well that he wasn't ready for that level of devotion, and she wasn't exactly sure that she was either, but still this was far from the first time he had ditched her. She didn't need to be his entire world, but she did want to be a part of it at least. That would be enough for her.

When she had first met Neji, frankly she didn't like him in the slightest. He was mean and condescending toward everyone, and she was no exception. He had insulted her resolve to be a great kunoichi because she focused solely on her weaponry when her other skills were sorely lacking. His rude statements would get her riled up and they often got into arguments which almost always ended in her being speechless and storming away. When he first proposed they start training together all those years back, Tenten only had agreed because she could stomach Neji's bad attitude easier than she could stomach Lee's unique brand of dedication, which was saying something. After informing Neji of her reluctance, they easily came to the agreement that as soon as they either transferred to a new team or somehow learned to overlook Gai and Lee's outbursts, their weekly sparring sessions would end.

The first training sessions were not exactly beneficial for either of them. Neji had viewed her attacks as predictable and boring, and spent most of the time telling her just that. Meanwhile, Tenten tried desperately week after week to cause even the smallest ounce of damage to him in a pathetic attempt at vengeance, though her efforts rarely paid off. Regardless, she stuck with it week after week because if getting stronger meant that she may be able to change to a new team, she could put up with Neij's pompous attitude till kingdom come if she had to. Looking back, she wasn't sure when things moved from hostility to camaraderie, but sure enough as they got used to the routine, it became less of a chore and more of an opportunity for them to get away from it all.

As time moved on and they spent more time working together, things became more relaxed. His blatant negativity was exchanged for a witty sarcasm that provoked her to fight harder, and as she continued to grow on the battlefield, the guarded Hyuga found it difficult to stay perfectly guarded from her – in more ways than one.

Try as he may to shut her out, Tenten was observant to the core and didn't miss small details that others overlooked. She began to see past his angry exterior, and without even trying, her mere presence became a welcomed escape where he didn't have to worry about the main branch or what side of the family tree he fell to. She worried for him, shared her heart with him, and tried to be supportive in the few ways that she could.

She accepted the fact that Neji would always be a dream she could never attain, and she was satisfied with watching him from a distance and just being there for him when she could. It wasn't much, but she got to hang out with him where it was just the two of them once every week. She had always been content with that, but how much longer would that last?

Tenten moved through the village, nearing her apartment complex and fumbling with her keys as she moved up the steps.

If Neji was backing out of training more often than not, surely it was a sign things were changing. Perhaps he had outgrown her. They had been on Team Gai, training week to week for years now, so who was to say that he was progressing at such a rate where she was only holding him back now? The thought came as foreign to her, however it was certainly a possibility. Neji was a genius. She should have known that one day he would reach a point where he moved onto better things within the village. He had already become a jounin while she remained a chunin. Last she was able to talk to Neji, he had stated he was thinking about taking the Anbu Exams. If he really did become a part of Anbu, which she had no doubts he could, then she would rarely get to see him if ever.

Suddenly feeling a bit hollow, Tenten began moving around her apartment, attempting to burn time and clear her mind of a certain prodigy that had the ability to make or break her. She was determined to not let this one small thing upset the rest of her day, because it was getting out of hand. Considering he cancelled on her, he wasn't worth the frustration. If she could simply occupy her mind with other things then it wouldn't seem so bad. Determined to not think about it any longer, Tenten stubbornly put on some music and began giving herself small projects that she had been putting off for some time. She had other things to worry about in her day aside from what Neji was doing.

So what if he cancelled on her? She was too busy anyway damn it, and she would prove it if she had to - starting with the walls. She hadn't washed them in far too long, and that was clearly more important that sparring with Neji. Thinking about it now, Tenten almost laughed thinking that she had even left her apartment at all. Sure training with Neji made her stronger and a more formidable foe on the battlefield, but dirty walls meant dust! Dust could get inside her lungs - give her upper respiratory infections! If she was ever to see battle, she had to be healthy and live free of infection. She couldn't risk spending time with Neji when it should have been spent dusting the walls from any ill wishing dust mites. How foolish she had been to ignore it for so long!

Tenten continued finding odd jobs, cleaning anything and everything she could think of and all the while getting frustrated even more. She knew she was inadvertently just stewing on the issue and making everything worse, but the more she tried to think of anything else, the more she focused on the fact that Neji cancelled on her. She sighed, propping herself up against a lemony fresh counter and frowning. Admitting defeat and finally admitting to herself that yes, she was in fact angry at Neji, Tenten gave up and decided to take a shower.

Besides, she had run out of things to clean anyway.

Putting away her cleaning supplies, Tenten groaned, moving to the bathroom and starting the water. Numbly going through the motions of washing her hair, Tenten allowed the hot water to soothe and help her relax. Sure she was being a bit over dramatic, but this had been the one thing she had looked forward to this entire week, and now it was gone. She couldn't help but feel a bit miserable at her poor fortune. Tenten shook her head, trying to bring logic back to herself. It wasn't the end of the world, not even close. There would be other times, and other memories. If Neji was in fact planning on stopping his interactions with Team Gai and moving into Anbu, she should focus on supporting him where she could and enjoy the time she had left with him. Fuming in her apartment wouldn't change anything, and it was silly to pretend as much.

"Another day maybe" Tenten muttered, shutting off the water and wiping the water off her face.

Stepping out of the shower and putting on a fresh set of clothes, Tenten set to towel drying her hair and moving toward the fridge for a drink. It was now getting later in the evening, and Tenten decided she might as well make some dinner and call it a day. Today certainly hadn't been at its best, but maybe next time she would be a bit more forgiving and not so prone to frustration about it. She reminded herself it was _okay_ for Neji to have other things that were important to him. She didn't always have to be his number one. _It was okay._

As she searched through her pantry, she heard a knock at the door. She wasn't expecting company per say, but she did consider herself to be social so it wasn't uncommon for Sakura or Hinata to drop by and visit throughout the week.

Standing up, Tenten smiled. Her friends really had great timing. She would kill for some girl time and friends to unwind with. They would inevitably ask her how her day went – especially if her visitor was Hinata. She wasn't sure how much information she would give about her cleaning spree or anger march off the training grounds. She had already been asked countless times about her feelings for Neji, and she always told them they were strictly friends, and that's how she wanted it.

In a twisted way, it was the truth. Perhaps there were times that she dreamed of more; however her selfless nature allowed her to put her thoughts aside and be content with just being there for him. It wasn't an ideal fairy tale, but it was enough. Some days though, were harder than others. Today was one of them apparently.

Opening the door with an excited grin, Tenten was taken back, "Neji?" she asked, a hand still in her hair as she towel dried her hair.

The only word she could use to describe him was _pissed_. His entire posture was tensed and his face was set in a hard scowl. Tenten frowned, "Everything o-"

The Hyuga cut her off, grabbing her wrist and pulling her out of her apartment, "Come with me."

All but falling on the ground as Neji abruptly pulled her forward, Tenten barely managed to close the front door before he had her moving down the stairs, "Neji," Tenten stammered, still not comprehending what was going on, "Where are we going exactly?"

"The training grounds." Neji explained shortly, "I need someone to spar with."

Tenten wasn't sure what to say in response, so instead gave a nod and worked on keeping up with Neji's quick pace. What had gotten him so upset? Surely it wasn't what she had said this afternoon was it? Neji knew her well enough to know that she tended to get a bit overdramatic when provoked – he didn't take her for being serious did he?

Taking a glance at the Hyuga, Tenten shook her head. No, it couldn't be that. He would have said something at the time, not waited until she got home just to drag her back on the field. Likely the cause of his anger had to be resulting from his Uncle Hiashi. If memory served, it was his Uncle that had called him away from their training earlier today, so it was possible.

The thought of his Uncle doing something to offend him made her angry as well. In truth, she knew it was misplaced anger. Hinata spoke highly of Hiashi, and while the man had never done anything to her personally, she had seen firsthand the effects that the cruel man had on her teammate. Even if Hiashi was a good man, to Neji he had always been a source of anger, resentment, and instability. The two had never seen eye to eye and regardless his incredible abilities; he would always be treated as second class. He was very guarded in that aspect of his life and many of his personal details had always been shrouded in mystery because of it. Even if she could see it, and even if it broke her heart for him, it was easier for them both to pretend that she wasn't aware of the struggle.

Arriving at the training grounds, Neji moved to his usual spot, already crouching down and preparing to attack.

Eyes widening, Tenten held up a hand, "Wait stop! Just hold on a minute here, I don't have any weapons or anything on me, you sorta pulled me out of my apartment without warning remember?"

"If I had been a true enemy that wouldn't matter, you'd have to fight as you are." Neji countered, not moving from his position though not advancing further.

Tenten frowned, shaking her head, "If you had been a true enemy you wouldn't have made it past the front gates." Tenten watched at Neji's narrowed eyes, "Besides, you almost always beat me as it is, and now you expect me to put up a good fight without weapons? That's too easy for you, and I won't learn a thing."

Neji contemplated her words, "Fine. Taijutsu only."

"Sure, but that still hardly seems fair with you being a short range fighter."

Neji quirked an eyebrow causing Tenten to sigh at his short nature, "I said okay didn't I?" Gathering her damp hair and throwing it into a single messy bun, Tenten took a deep breath and charged forward towards Neji. She may have been a long range fighter, but that didn't change the fact she was used to fighting offensively. While Neji could easily be offensive, she was hoping that with her speed and flexibility he wouldn't have much opportunity to attack. It might at least prolong the inevitable for a while longer, considering their difference in skill.

Swinging a fist at him, Neji smoothly dodged, circling around her while Tenten leaped into the air, "Care to tell me why you dragged me out here by the way?"

Neji met her in the air, attempting to kick her to the ground, "You wanted to train didn't you?"

Grabbing his leg, Tenten pivoted around him, pushing him downward, "Don't try to turn this on me. I meant what was bugging you. You're clearly upset?"

Neji landed and swung his leg around, attempting to trip the kunoichi however, Tenten bent backwards and leapt away, leaving a five foot gap between them. Neji looked toward Tenten, waiting for her next attack, "If you wanted to know that, you should have asked specifically."

Attacking once more, Tenten gave an aggravated groan, "Fine. Neji, what is bothering you?" Her voice had a mock sweetness as she started to get frustrated by his remarks. His anger was impacting him more than he likely realized – he was being needlessly short with her. She nimbly ducked under his fist, dropping low to the ground and trying to use her flexibility against him.

"Nothing is wrong." The Hyuga stated coldly, successfully kicking her in the jaw and sending her flying back across the field.

Landing hard with a thud, Tenten hissed, "Damn it Neji!"

He straightened up, walking towards his teammate, "I can't help it if you aren't taking the match seriously. You need to keep your guard up."

Jumping up from the ground with as much speed as she could muster, Tenten lunged for him, sending them both onto the ground in a rough wrestling match.

"I don't mean that," Tenten hissed, glaring down at Neji who was easily starting to out power her, "I meant that after all this time, you don't think I can tell when you're upset or not? If you don't want to talk about it that's fine, but don't insult me by lying and saying its nothing. I know better."

Having lost the power struggle, Tenten opted to kick Neji over her, watching as he somersaulted away. Turning around, the look Neji gave her was unreadable. For a moment, it seemed as though Neji was going to say something, though he opted to scowl at her instead, "Stop all this talking Tenten, fight me!" Neji remarked, irritation returning to his voice.

He moved towards her, jabbing at her while she blocked to the best of her ability, finally able to grab his fist, "Why?" she taunted, "Does talking to me make you uncomfortable?"

Neji kicked her feet out from under her and Tenten put an arm down as she felt to stabilize herself, kicking towards him to gain some distance between them. Righting herself, she stood back up, "You know that not everything in life can be solved by being strong Neji."

"I know that." He snapped, dusting himself off and taking a deep breath.

Tenten scoffed, "Clearly you don't! You're afraid to be vulnerable, and you're afraid to let people in. I can't say I know best but I_ am_ your friend. You can trust me just a little you know!" By the end she was shouting at him, and what she wouldn't give at the moment to have her normal arsenal of weaponry on her. If she had her way, she'd be throwing more than just insults at him right now. It took a lot to get through his thick Hyuga skull.

Neji ran towards her, "Enough! You wouldn't spend a real fight arguing philosophy with the enemy. You'd take him down, no questions asked. I expect you to do the same for me."

Tenten shook her head firmly, gritting her teeth, "No." As the Hyuga neared closer, she took a deep breath and dropped her guard entirely, taking a firm hit to the stomach as she fell back roughly into the ground. Bad idea. Wincing in pain, Tenten curled into a ball and held her stomach. She could hear Neji curse under his breath and move beside her on the ground, rolling her over and glaring at her as she finally opened her eyes.

"Tenten what the hell were you thinking?" he snapped, giving her a small shake in frustration, before allowing her to fall to the ground and berating her further, "I expected you to block! I don't want to actually hurt you, what in the world are you thinking, pulling off a stupid stunt like that?"

Wheezing slightly and trying to catch her breath again, Tenten paused for a moment, whispering with as much conviction as she could muster in her breathless condition, "I'm tired of hearing you say I should treat you like the enemy. You aren't my enemy Neji, you're my teammate, my colleague, and my best friend."

Tenten paused again, finding it was still difficult to catch her breath and that talking only made it worse. Neji remained silent, opting to stop glaring at her and instead staring across the field.

Taking a deep breath again, Tenten stated a little louder, sitting up with a grimace and looking at her stoic teammate, "I hate the fact that you live your life so secluded and that you don't trust anyone. I get the fact that you have a lot on your plate. I'm sure you think that if you tried to explain it to me, I'd never understand or I can't do anything to help or whatever, but can you at least try sometimes?"

Tenten paused, shaking her head slightly as she continued speaking with resolve, "That's what friends are for. I know aren't used to being open with others, but I care about you. I don't want to fight you in a sparring match and just pretend that everything's okay. Everything is not okay, and if you think that after all these years I can't-"

"My uncle wants me to move into the Main Estate." Neji cut her off, his voice quiet as he stared off into the distance.

Tenten paused, taking in the one sentence that added so much insight as to why the evening had turned out like it had. A silence formed between them, and Tenten frowned.

"I'm sorry." She muttered, knowing that those words would not be enough to make the situation better. She wasn't sure how much more she should say, or even if she _could_ say more about it. There was no point lingering on what would only make him more upset, that wouldn't help anyone. All things considered, she was surprised that Neji wasn't more upset actually. He had always bore resentment towards the Main branch of the Hyuga clan, and now they were attempting to strip away even more of his freedom.

Neji grit his teeth, clenching his fist while refusing to look at his team mate, "I _hate_ Hiashi."

His voice held such malice and such anger that Tenten's heart broke for him. With each passing moment, the Hyuga became more and more tensed to the point he was physically shaking with anger. For any normal person, it would only be expected for them to be afraid of Neji in such a state, however for Tenten, she couldn't help but feel sorrow along with him.

Not sure as to why she allowed herself such an impulse, Tenten laid her head on his shoulder, feeling dismay along with him, "Life's not fair. I'm sorry Neji." She stated, her voice weary.

Neji looked down at her in surprise, her action shocking enough that for a moment it cleared his mind entirely of Hiashi. He watched the brunette for a moment longer, though she didn't make eye contact with him and continued to stare across the training grounds as well, seemingly lost in her thoughts.

Frowning once more, Neji looked down at the forest, allowing the silence to take over for what was certainly going to be one of the last days of freedom. Without even noticing, his anger slowly began to dissolve away as he sat with her head on his shoulder – not something he was exactly used to, though it wasn't unpleasant enough to move her away either.

As time moved on, Neji looked down again at her, a smirk painting his lips. Leave it to Tenten to yell at him, scare him half to death by stopping their fight, and end up somehow pulling information out of him in a way that only she knew how. If he hadn't been in such a bad mood before, her behavior would have been highly amusing to him.

"Tenten, thank you." He whispered quietly, causing the weapon's master to look up at him, a mischievous grin across her features.

"You're welcome. I know that you really needed a victory today so I went easy on you, but don't expect it next time because it's not happening." Tenten informed him sternly, struggling to keep a straight face.

Neji couldn't help but quirk a brow at her in confusion, never for a moment understanding what all went on in her head. Seeing she was being sarcastic, Neji rolled his eyes, though smiled none the less.

After a moment longer, he turned back to her, "Hungry?" He stood up fully, dusting himself off and turning towards Tenten who was doing the same.

"Yeah," Tenten stated easily. They often had grabbed a meal after training, sometimes to brief over missions, other times simply because it was convenient. It was never anything fancy, but Tenten enjoyed the company after a hard training session, and especially after a day like today, it would do them both good to unwind a little.

Stretching slightly, Tenten continued, "We'll need to stop by my apartment because I didn't grab any cash. It's not too far from our usual joint though. If we hurry we can probably beat the dinner rush."

"It's okay I've got it." Neji stated easily, waiting for her for a moment longer before they both started walking back towards the village.

"You sure?"

"It's no big deal."

Tenten smiled warmly, taking her hair out of its bun and allowing her hair to pillow around her shoulders. It was still damp from her previous shower, and it felt wonderful against the night air. They walked in a comfortable silence towards the village, making idle chatter here and there, though overall she couldn't help but just enjoy his company.

As they entered the restaurant Neji had picked out, Tenten gave a laugh.

"What?" Neji asked, grinning despite himself as they were lead to their table.

"I was just thinking about our genin days and how much has changed. I remember I hated you at first." Tenten laughed again, "Almost as much as I hated Gai and Lee, and I really, really despised them I'll have you know."

Neji gave an amused chuckle, "I remember as well. I can't say I hated training with you back then because I quite enjoyed provoking you, but I remember looking forward to the day where I got transferred to a new team. You were a pill."

Tenten laughed harder, sitting down in the chair Neji had pulled out for her, "We were so certain that we'd get transferred to a new team if we just tried harder. Years later and here we are, still on the same team. What pathetic ninja we turned out to be eh?"

She heard Neji laugh in agreement as he took his seat across the table. Tenten shrugged, grinning wider, "At least Gai and Lee are a bit more low key though."

"Not at all." Neji stated with a smirk, "It seems we've just grown accustomed to them is all."

Tenten rolled her eyes, "I suppose. I'll admit they don't drive me insane as often as they used to." Tenten took a look over the menu, not having been to this restaurant, "Hey Neji I've never been here before, you have any recommendations?"

The evening continued on, and soon Tenten found herself at her apartment door, holding a few last minute conversations with him at her doorway, prolonging goodbye so she could glean just a few more minutes with him. All too soon however, Neji wished her good night and began walking down the path and toward his estate across town. Tenten smiled as she closed the door behind him, thinking about the Hyuga for just a moment longer. Perhaps they weren't a couple, but really, she was happy, truly. Could she ask for anything more than that?

Turning out the lights and heading to bed for the night, Tenten gave a small, shy smile.

_You know, We never did stop those weekly training sessions like we had promised all those years ago…_

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A/N: *laughs* Okay so maybe you don't have to squint all that much at the end, however I can't help but feel they are the destined couple that's always meant to be, but both are so close to each other that they don't need to title of boyfriend/girlfriend to understand they are special to each other.

That's just my take, and as I continue to get more challenges I imagine that we'll see more renditions of Nejiten. Honestly I'm really stuck on this couple right now. It's a curse.

Thanks for reading, and see yall around next time!

oo

**Epilogue:** _Neji walked into Tenten's apartment, looking around in shock, "Wow Tenten, its really clean in here! Did you get your spring cleaning done?"_

_Hiding her blush, Tenten turned away into the kitchen, nervously laughing as she felt her face flush, "Haha... something like that!"_

_oo_

Okay okay, now I'm done for real!


End file.
